Shhhhh, Just Sneaking Back In !

No fanfare, no big pronouncements.

Just did a weigh in and made up my mind to start AGAIN trying to get fit.

Motivation ? the huge gut is still there and I have diabetes. Yep, it finally caught up on me, I have type 2 diabetes. I have been controlling it fairly well since being diagnosed a couple months ago but I'm still not putting in the work to really lose weight.

Got up this morning, looked at the exercise bicycle in my bedroom, cursed out myself as a worthless prick and did 10 minutes high intensity riding. 4 minutes warmup, then alternating 20 secs, intense pedalling, 10 secs. lite pdealling, 20 secs. intense pedalling .................2 minutes warming down.  Will do this over the next 7 days then up it to a 20 minutes ride.

Motivation ? health and confidence (and hopefully smaller gut).

Sssssssssssshhhhhhhhhh 

2012 - 10K Chalenge

2011 was a huge disaster year for me fitness wise.

This blog has been basically a chronicle of my failures from 2009 to now to try to get into a fitness routine and to lose weight. I have made quite a few starts only to see them fizzle out as work and a weak will cause me to quit after only a couple weeks doing something.

The beginning of a new year is usually a good place to start again and this time I have a goal in mind. "I want to run a 10K race by September 2012."

I walked in the Jamaica Cancer Society 5K race back in October and enjoyed it. Take away the pain in my feet, ankle and arse and the fact that I walked sideways like a crab for 2 days afterwards. It was run on the Saturday morning of a holiday weekend so I had Sunday and Monday (along with Excedrin) to recuperate. I loved it, my wife ran while I walked and I am not ashamed to admit that, but I realized that there were many out there challenging themselves like me to get fit.

A couple weeks ago I started walking with Andre at the football field but this morning I got up at 5am and headed to Emancipation Park in New Kingston and walked their 500m track for 10 laps (5K). I started walking at 5:40 and was done at 6:30. I was joined by a co-worker Dave, who decided that he would be the person to constantly motivate me to get fit - Thanks Dave.

Afterwards I felt good and am looking forward to another go at it on Wednesday morning. Come next week I will up it to 3 days per week before settling in at 4 times per week, by then I should be running and walking. On a Saturday morning I will hope to add a bike ride and maybe an evening or 2 off kicking the ball around.

I have just started so I dont want to over do it or set expectations too high. A weight of 220lbs and running in a 10 K for 2012 is the goal. My wife is already making adjustments to our diet (she lost 20lbs over the past 2 months)

New year new goals.

Challenging Myself

I have thrown out a challenge and it has been taken up with glee, so I better make sure it doesn't cost me much.

Recently while at Dunns River Falls in beautiful Ocho Rios, I jokingly challenged my wife's Uncle to a contest where I would lose weight in 6 months faster than him. He accepted especially when I said "I bet you ........." Well the bet is J$ 10,000 for the person that loses the most weight over 6 months.

I am currently 240, he's 190 but I am probably 5 or 6 inches taller. So it looks like getting down to as close to 200 for me an as close to 150 for him. One thing I didn't count on was that he's more active than me and also loves a challenge and wont back down. My wife came home last week to tell me that he's putting in a lot of time on his exercise bike and has adjusted his diet already...... YIKES !!!!!!

My first step is to eliminate as much Pepsi as possible from my diet. On a normal day while working on the road I will consume 2 or 3 500ml bottles, so I have purchased a little cooler and now carry 3 bottles of 500ml water with me. I do indulge 1 a day but am about to do away with that. I have also eliminated patties which contain a lot of oil and fat, and cut down drastically on refined carbs.

I needed to find a way to up my cardio workout, which has been non-existent over the past 6 months, so I got a small exercise bicycle set up at home and I will ride that twice per day during the weekdays and get out on the road on a Saturday or Sunday. I will also be adding some resistance training to my daily workout.

Wish me luck, cuss me out of I fall off and look for updates every 2 weeks or so


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October 1, 2011

Weight - 240lbs

Target - March 31, 2012

Weight - 200lbs

Wow - Time Flies !

I havent done any serious road work since March !!

I got sick in March and stayed home for almost a week, on the comeback trail my walking partner Andre got busy with work and his busy period usually runs from 4-6 weeks, but since then I have allowed work and home life to keep me busy. I am so exhausted that sometimes on a Saturday Antoinette will take the kids on the road and I would stay home and sleep for hours on end.

A large part of the exhaustion I am thinking stems from me not exercising regularly, the body would have lost all the gains I had within 2 months and I would be back at square one. So when Andre suggested we start back walking after the guys took me to the movies for my birthday, I agreed. I will of course blog it here to keep track of what I'm doing and hopefully motivate me to reach higher.

I will also be doing posting additional stuff here, my thoughts on movies that I have watched, beautiful girls that I see and whatever wacky ideas that come up.

Cheat Weekend extended to Cheat WeakendS !

Not really !

I havent been on the bicycle all month and not been to the field in about 2 weeks. On my last run I picked up a serious blister, big enough to cause serious pain, stripping away of flesh, etc. I was limping for a couple days afterwards.

I needed to make a couple adjustments to ensure that my feet are comfortable in my shoe, so i stopped off and got a couple of Dr. Scholls Double Air Pillows, one set for my work shoes and another for my sneakers. I have a brand new pair but they fit much too close for my comfort so I might sell em to a friend and get another pair.

This morning my feet felt much better so we went off walking. I could have gone riding but with the kids in tow (Antoinette's niece and nephew) we figured that it might be easier for them walking around a field instead of along a road. If they got tired they could sit and wait, on the road they would have to walk all the way back to the car. My ankles ached a lot when I jogged, so it was mostly brisk walking (12 laps in all).

Next week it's back to walking/running on Monday/Wednesday/Friday and riding on Saturday

Cheat Weekend - No Riding !

I knew it would happen eventually, a weekend where I wouldnt get out to ride and I would feel guilty over it, and it happened this weekend.

The weekday walking/running sessions were good and apart from Friday where my energy and enthusiasm level just plummeted, we got in some serious work. Antoinette joined us on Friday and did well until her knees started aching and she basically crawled the last lap. I had no energy and my back was killing me, so after 7 or 8 laps I just stopped.

On Saturday morning I took T all the way to Ewarton to look at a house and then went off to help a friend move house. We didnt finish that until about 8pm and didnt hit bed until about midnight. That was more than enough to scuttle Sunday morning ride. I knew I would feel guilty but I also knew that life will sometime interfere and keep me from riding occasionally.

This evening its walking again, have to make up for strolling most of Friday evening.

Knowlege is Power !

Another week another couple days of working out.

Monday evening was good, getting in over an hour of walking/running with Andre. Wednesday was dead as I was busy with work and blew it off, Friday was great as my better half joined us and nearly kicked the crap out of us. Seriously though, missing that one day made me feel guilty.

This morning was nice and cool and it even drizzled lightly as I rode. Of course you know there is usually extra wind around with the rain and riding in wind is always a chore. This morning I went out quickly and did well, but starting out quickly usually takes it toll later on, and it did. I had to stop for a drink before completing the full ride.

This morning I met a couple guys on the road and they offered some very good advice. They noticed that I was riding in a pretty high gear and suggested that since I had just started back after months of inactivity, I should be riding in a very low gear and just spin away to build my capacity (lungs, heart, etc) and legs. Riding in a high gear makes it harder to pedal and you cover more distance. Its like lifting weights, if the intention is to lose weight, then you go with relatively light weights for 15-20 reps, if you're building muscle mass you go for heavy weights and crank out 6-8 reps. One gives you an aerobic workout (high reps, spinning) while the other gives a more anaerobic workout (heavy weights, high gear)

This also brings home the reality that I am over 40, in lousy shape and need to concentrate on doing it right, building slowly and not setting unrealistic goals. So no 100 miles in May, more likely nearer the end of the year.

On the way home it was still very overcast, so I called up Andre and bullied in into going walking. He really didnt need much encouragement, we were off in a light drizzle and did 10 laps of the football field before quitting as a result of the drizzle getting heavier. If it hadnt we would have gone on for 15 laps. I didnt just walk this morning but did also did some jogging and that is what told me in no uncertain terms that I am one fat unfit fuck !!

Good morning, good workout, good all around week.

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January 30, 2010

Miles today - 12.0

Miles Ridden MTD - 75

Target MTD (revised) - 75

Target for February 2010 - 100 miles